Let’s get it out of the way shall we? “Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on…”. Okay, you know Mrs Doyle from Father Ted? Well, she was played by a great actress called Pauline McGlynn. Our Pauline is going to make an appearance in Shameless as, get this, Frank Gallagher’s latest love interest! Yoinks! She’ll be making her bow in the show when it returns to our screens later this year. Filming has already started on the new spangly seventh series, which welcomes newcomers McLynn and former Grange Hill actress Valerie Lilley to Manchester’s Chatsworth Estate. McLynn will play a local librarian called Libby who will stir interest from Frank… but which way will it go? Will he be dragged up, or her dragged down. My money is on the latter.

Related: Our Shameless section | Father Ted Collection

Of course, Frank Gallagher has an appalling record when it comes to matters of the heart. That’s not all that’s new either. Karen and Jamie Maguire expect a new arrival of their own and Mimi takes over The Jockey. The story that promises most is the one that sees Shane getting involved in a marriage sham.

Good grief.

Speaking about the latest castings, producer Lawrence Till says in a statement: “We are thrilled that the acting talents of Pauline McLynn and Valerie Lilley are to be joining our already celebrated cast on the Chatsworth Estate.”

“This season we will continue to push the boundaries of storytelling: keeping the audience on the edge from the first frame to the last blast,” he added.
[viaTV,com]